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Alaska Court Halts New Official English Law On March 3, Alaska State Superior Judge Fred Torrisi blocked enforcement of the state's new Official English law. The law, approved by voters by a 2-to-1 margin in November, 1998, requires state and local governments to conduct much of their official business in English (although it has some significant loopholes and ambiguities). Judge Torrisi issued his preliminary injunction in the village of Dillingham, 350 miles southwest of Anchorage. The order temporarily blocked the state from implementing the new law. The official English law was challenged by government officials from rural villages where many residents speak only a little English. Many of the villagers are Native Alaskans, and proponents of the blocked Alaska law point out that the rights of those villagers are already protected by the federal native American Languages Act. Judge Torrisi, however, said that the law was vague and inexplicable. A full trial may be held later. |
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The
ELPAC Report 